History

September 1987

Need for a Day Center

The Homeless Network of Indianapolis, in conjunction with the United Way/Community Service Council, City of Indianapolis, Office of the Mayor, the Department of Metropolitan Development and All Saints Episcopal Church established a list of priorities for addressing the problem of homelessness in Indianapolis. The top priority on this list was the need for a daytime multi-service agency that could help coordinate the many services offered to homeless individuals around the city. From this priority emerged the Indianapolis Day Center.

January 1, 1994

Day Center becomes Horizon House

The Indianapolis Day Center’s Board of Directors felt a need to further secularize the identity of the Day Center in order to broaden its base of support. The Day Center shifted to independent management, breaking its long-standing relationship with the Salvation Army, and creating a new tie to the United Way of Central Indiana. Later that month the Board of Directors voted to change the name of the agency in an effort to strengthen its identity, and thus originated Horizon House.

August 8, 2001

More Funding Secured

Horizon House was able to secure additional funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., Central Indiana Community Foundation, United Way of Central Indiana, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the AmeriCorps program. This funding allowed Horizon House to purchase the facility at 1033 East Washington Street and to begin implementing the Strategic Plan with additional hours and programming beginning August 8, 2001.

November 21, 1988

Indianapolis Day Center Opens

The Indianapolis Day Center opened through the cooperative efforts of Shepherd Community Inc., and the Salvation Army was recruited to manage the agency based on its experience working with homeless persons and with their case management program.

1994

Strategic Plan

Horizon House formulated a long-term strategic plan which called for the relocation of the agency to a larger which could accommodate more programs and better facilitate our mission.